Have you been curious why some golfers seem to take control and rule the tournaments these days? Tiger Woods is the golfer who is widely acknowledged with starting the revolution in fitness training, although many players before him like Gary Player are known exercise enthusiasts. While Tiger made it not only acceptable, but preferable, to train for golf, the majority of players are now taking their fitness levels very seriously.

Do you have to be fit to play good golf? You may be surprised to hear me say no. However, if you want to be able to place at the top of the leader board on a consistent basis from tournament to tournament, then the answer changes to absolutely yes.

Physical conditioning is critical to every major contributing factor in your game including swing mechanics, stamina, mental acuity and good judgment. The ability to continue the through a tournament in peak form is a competitive advantage for any golfer in the peak of his season.

Assuming you understand and agree with the concept of physical conditioning for golf, then how do you get started?

Give some honest and open thought to your current level of conditioning. You likely know best where you may be falling short on consecutive rounds of golf. Are you feeling weak? Do you feel tired? Do you feel sharp mentally? Are you tight? If so, where?

The answer to these questions is what helps you to set your goals and priorities moving forward. Flexibility may be your single biggest issue or just a small portion of the weaknesses you face today. Maybe stamina is a small issue, yet strength loss is a major factor. It could be just one thing or any combination of things that work together and against your game.

When you set your fitness goals, begin with your weaknesses, not your strengths. This will allow you to improve your game the quickest. All of your efforts will make the difference between a good golfer and an elite pro golfer.